Lonzo Ball had a field day with the Houston Rockets on Sunday, burying a career-high seven 3-pointers as part of a 27-point, 10-rebound, eight-assist performance. The third-year guard led a steady New Orleans Pelicans attack, one that put the Rockets away in the fourth quarter with a 41-point period and a 22-point differential.
Ball, who made changes in his form and his release point in the offseason, has developed into more dangerous threat from distance, now shooting 36.1% on 3-pointers on 6.1 attempts per game. However, he still has to do plenty more to convince the Pelicans he's an integral piece to their puzzle.
The 6-foot-6 guard certainly didn't disappoint when left open on Sunday, burying 7-of-12 from deep and making the Rockets pay for their defensive miscues. Take a look:
Lonzo (27 PTS, 10 REB & 8 AST) drained a career-high 7 threes in the Pelicans' win last night! 💦#WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/zY8JASj9yF
— NBA TV (@NBATV) December 30, 2019
Ball is still struggling to become an efficient shooter overall, making only 38.3% of his field goals, though his jump in 3-point percentage in each of the last two seasons is at least a positive sign.
The UCLA product has only shot 50% or better in four of 15 games this month, which has led to talk about his potential move by the trade deadline. He has also struggled from the foul line, making only 15-of-30 from the charity stripe this season — still the lackadaisical foul shooter who shies away from contact.
The Pelicans are hoping that Ball's season-high outing is the sign of more to come, having reached the 20-point threshold only once more this season. Ball can make a case to stay if his efficiency improves, but there could be little to no reason to keep him if that doesn't happen in the coming months.
While Ball has made radical improvements in his shot form, release, and his stance, he still has yet to gain the confidence necessary to become a reliable overall scoring threat. Judging by the numbers, there's very little suggesting he can be a capable scorer in this league at this point, considering, for one, that both of his 20-point outings came in the only two nights he played 40 or more minutes. He had a 20-point night earlier this month in a 43-minute outing against the Phoenix Suns, which the Pelicans lost in overtime.
The Chino Hills native has taken double-digit shot attempts in six of his last seven games. Even though he shot an impressive 40.9% from 3 in those six games, his overall field goal percentage was also a similar 41%.
The Pelicans knew Lonzo Ball would be a work in progress when they traded Anthony Davis, but if they trade him it won't feel like a total loss, considering they hit the jackpot with Brandon Ingram and lucked out with the No. 1 pick to select Zion Williamson.
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